Amnesty International Calls For "Unconditional" Release Of Detained CCC Activists
Amnesty International has urged Zimbabwean authorities to immediately and unconditionally release over 70 opposition members which it said were detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
The detained individuals are members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, and they were arrested on June 16, 2024, while gathered at the home of the partyโs interim leader, Jameson Timba.
Both the Magistrates Court and the High Court have denied them bail since their arrest.
Khanyo Farise, Amnesty Internationalโs Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa said:
Zimbabwean authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the CCC opposition party members and drop all the charges against them. Their arbitrary, month-long detention is an outrage which must end now.
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This lengthy, baseless detention plainly violates Zimbabweโs Constitution and its international human rights obligations.
Authorities must end the crackdown on civic space and ensure everyone can freely speak and gather peacefully without fear of arrest or torture and other ill-treatment.
On Wednesday, High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi dismissed an appeal filed by the CCC activists against the denial of bail by Magistrate Ruth Moyo.
The judge upheld the magistrateโs decision, resulting in the continued detention of the 74 CCC activists.
However, one accused individual, Maxwell Sande, who is below the age of 18 years, was released into the custody of his father, Cecil Sande.
The CCC activists are charged with holding an unlawful gathering to plan anti-government protests.
More:ย Pindula News
